


The Royal Romance 3: Cinderella From the Ashes

by Twinkle320



Series: The Royal Romance: Not Quite Cinderella [3]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Mostly Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:40:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29566950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twinkle320/pseuds/Twinkle320
Summary: After thinking she has finally settled into her happily ever after, Riley and her friends must find a way to overcome the attacks on their kingdom.
Relationships: Drake Walker/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Series: The Royal Romance: Not Quite Cinderella [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685416
Comments: 12
Kudos: 14





	1. Unwell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley deals with the aftermath of the attack on the palace and worries for Drake and her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten at least a start on Book 3 so here we are with Chapter 1! For the most part this fic follows canon but I do take some liberties for reality's sake and you will see that right away. Can't wait for you to read along and I would love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> [](https://ibb.co/RHyvZGD)
> 
> Disclaimers:  
> ***All characters, general story and dialog belong to PB...I do not own anything other than original scenes, my MCs backstory and original characters***
> 
> ***All chapter names are song titles and open with lyrics from the song. I do not own any of these songs. All titles and lyrics belong to the respective artists and writers***

_All night hearing voices tellin’ me that I should get some sleep  
Because tomorrow might be good for something  
Hold on, feelin’ like I’m headed for a breakdown and I don’t know why  
But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell  
  
_

Blood…so much blood. For the second time in just over six months, Riley Nevin was in the grand ballroom at the Royal Palace of Cordonia completely surrounded by chaos. This time was different though. There was no Coronation, no pending engagement, no scandal, but she would have preferred to relive that night a thousand times over the horrors she was experiencing now. Moments before, the court had been toasting Riley as the newly appointed Duchess of Valtoria until they found themselves under siege. Assassins had cut the power and stormed the ball; members of the court were attempting to flee. Drake and Riley had been watching Liam fight off attackers on stage when suddenly a gun was being aimed at her. Drake kept his promise to protect her in a way that neither one of them ever imagined he would have to when he threw himself between her and a bullet.

Riley and Drake had collided from the force of the gun shot and now she was catching her breath as she knelt over him, covered in his blood. Drake had rolled to his back, clutching his shoulder. All color had drained from his face and he was struggling to remain conscious.

“Drake…Drake, stay with me baby.”

“Nevin…rrr…rrun.” Drake was gasping for air and when he was able to open his eyes, they were filled with fear and panic. “Get…out…of…here.”

“ _No_! I’m not leaving you. Why did you do that? What were you thinking?”

Drake was drifting in and out of consciousness and couldn’t form the words to answer her but through the pain, when he was able to look at her, she could see the love in his eyes. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she begged him to stay with her. “I love you…please, stay awake Drake. Please don’t leave me.”

“ _Drake_!”

Riley turned to the sound of the voice and saw Bastien rushing to her side with his gun drawn. Without pause he pulled Riley to her feet but she tried to fight him off, beating his chest with her small, balled fists. “Let me go, Bastien…he needs me.”

Bastien grabbed both of her hands to restrain her. “Yes, Lady Riley, he does…stop fighting me! We need to get him out of here.” Bastien pulled off his suit jacket and applied pressure to Drake’s wound before lifting him; wobbly and barely awake, to his feet. “There is a service entrance to the left. Get on his other side and apply pressure so we can get him outside. I have guards providing us with cover.”

Drake groaned trying to steady himself as Riley and Bastien had to bear the bulk of his weight. Gunshots continued to ring out through the room as Drake tried in a groggy, weak voice to convince Riley he was fine. Once outside, Bastien guided them to a waiting SUV. As Riley loaded Drake into the passenger seat, Bastien leaned in the driver’s side door and punched an address into the console. “This’ll take you to a safe house. There are first aid supplies there. Patch Drake up as soon as you arrive. He should be fine, as long as you get the bleeding under control.”

“Bastien…no…I…I can’t do that. Aren’t you coming with us? We need to get him to a hospital.”

“Lady Riley…you must go to the safe house, it is the only place you’ll be secure. I have to go back inside, our King needs me. I wish I could do more for you. Don’t trust anyone right now.”

Riley slid into the driver’s seat and reached for Drake’s hand. His skin was cold and clammy, his grip was weak, and his eyelids continued to droop as he battled to stay awake. In his weakened state, he struggled to keep pressure on his wound. Riley released his hand and tried to help but couldn’t get a good angle. As she maneuvered the SUV through the rear gates onto a secluded road, she reached for the GPS buttons.

“Nevin…what are you doing?” Drake asked, his words broken, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

“I am taking you to a damn hospital.”

Drake weakly reached out and moved her hand back to the steering wheel. “No.” He stopped for a moment and gasped for breath, clearly struggling to talk. “Go to the safe house,” he said, before falling back against the seat again, barely conscious.

All manner of possibilities were running through Riley’s mind. Even if she could get the bleeding to stop, they didn’t know if the bullet was still in his shoulder; if it had hit any arteries or nerves or even bone. And then there was the risk of infection. After losing her mom the way she did, Riley had read everything she could get her hands on about sepsis. If Riley, with no training, didn’t do everything just right, Drake ran the risk of infection which could lead to sepsis and she refused to lose him when she had just found him. Without another thought, she ignored Bastien’s orders, and Drake’s pleas and switched the GPS to get them to the hospital. It was thankfully a shorter trip than the safe house and Drake had become too out of it to realize the change.

Riley pulled the SUV right up to the ER entrance, blaring on the horn, not caring if she caused a scene. A team consisting of a doctor and three nurses raced out at the sound of her commotion. Getting out of the car, she stood at the driver’s side door, battling against her tears and tried to show command of the situation.

“I’m Duchess Riley Nevin of Valtoria. This man is Drake Walker. He was shot in an attack on the Royal Palace. He needs immediate medical attention and I need someone to get local authorities here _now_ for our protection.”

Two of the nurses and the doctor immediately moved Drake to a stretcher while the third nurse raced back inside to call the police. Within minutes four police cars pulled up and began securing the entrances while Drake was wheeled inside and Riley was led to the waiting area of a private wing in the hospital. For thirty minutes, Riley sat in the waiting room, nervously tapping her foot and picking at her nails. Finally, the doctor that had brought Drake into the hospital, an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a kind countenance, came in to speak with her.

“Your Grace?”

Riley stood up, her eyes red rimmed and puffy from the tears that wouldn’t stop coming. “Yes. How is he?”

“Your Grace, I’m Dr. Hastings, I’ve taken lead on Mr. Walker’s care along with a team of surgeons that are in with him now…would you mind telling me your relation to the patient?”

“Please, call me Riley. I’m…his girlfriend.” Riley searched the doctor’s face for any indication of what could be going on, but he had perfected a stoic mask much like Liam’s. “He’s in surgery?”

Dr. Hastings nodded. “Yes…normally I would only be allowed to disclose information to immediate family, but Mr. Walker regained consciousness long enough to grant permission to speak with you before he was taken in. He seemed quite surprised to be in the hospital.”

Riley dropped into a chair and the doctor took a seat next to her. “I was supposed to take us to a safe house, but…I didn’t know how bad it was. I didn’t know if I could care for him so…I brought us here. I don’t know if we’re in danger by being here but…” Riley battled her tears and struggled to keep her anxiety at bay. “…I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”

“Riley, I can assure you, you are safe here. The local authorities have secured the building and this wing, no one will get in or out without being screened. I will tell you, the press is outside. Several other members of the court were brought in with injuries and the incident has already made the news. The authorities have also alerted the King’s Guard of your whereabouts.”

Riley closed her eyes, imagining the scolding she would get for defying Bastien but if Drake was going to be okay, it would be worth it. “Thank you, Dr. Hastings. Please, tell me about Drake.”

“Walk with me, Your Grace.”

Dr. Hastings led Riley into an empty hospital room and gestured for her to take a seat. From the hallway, Dr. Hastings pulled in a cart holding a computer that the nurses typically used for registering patients. With a couple quick keystrokes, a series of images from either an MRI or an x-ray appeared on screen. Riley had no idea what she was looking at. 

“Mr. Walker got very lucky in the scheme of things, but you did the right thing by bringing him here.” Dr. Hastings pointed to the first image which looked to Riley like a bunch of white strings, almost like a guitar. “I will spare you too many of the technical specifics but…this is a cluster of nerves called the brachial plexus. The bullet went through the cluster, but thankfully it didn’t transect them, or in other words, cut them in half. Unfortunately, however, there was damage to the auxiliary artery that runs right through the nerves and the bullet did not exit. Mr. Walker lost a lot of blood and required a transfusion and the artery has to be repaired. A sheath, or covered stent will be placed over the injury site and then a balloon will be inflated through the stent to ensure complete sealing of the artery and preserve blood flow. This surgery is not without risk due to the artery’s location in the nerve bundle.” 

It took a minute for Riley to digest all of the information, even in laymen’s terms. “What are the risks and possible outcomes?”

Dr. Hastings nodded, anticipating the question. “Damaging the nerves while they attempt to repair the artery is the biggest risk. The best possible scenario is successful repair of the artery with no nerve damage.”

“And the worst?” Riley asked, her voice small and shaky.

Dr. Hastings hesitated.

“Please, doctor…I want to know everything I can.”

“If the artery is repaired but the nerves get damaged during surgery, Mr. Walker could end up with paralysis of his left side. If they are unable to repair the artery, whether there is damage to the nerves or not, he’d risk losing the arm to amputation due to the loss of blood flow.”

Riley gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her body shook with sobs. “So…his prognosis is…?” she croaked.

“We’ll know more once he’s out of surgery. The surgical team is the best in Cordonia but, I’m sorry…until that artery is repaired, I can’t make a statement on prognosis. However, I can assure you, you did the right thing. Had you waited to get him care, we’d be facing a very different set of circumstances.”

“When can I see him?”

“He has about another hour in surgery, then he’ll be in recovery for an hour before moving into ICU where you can see him. Is there someone we can call for you?”

“No,” Riley replied quietly. In all the panic, she had no idea where anyone was; how anyone was. Dr. Hastings had mentioned other injuries but part of her was too afraid to ask and the other part figured they wouldn’t tell her anything anyway. She thanked the doctor as he left the room and curled up in a chair in the corner of the waiting room. Exhaustion from the emotional toll of the night took over and she fell asleep. At some point, she recalled someone coming in to cover her with a blanket, but she didn’t wake again until a nurse came to escort her to ICU. To her surprise, it had been three hours instead of the two that she had initially been told but the nurse was unable to provide her with any details on the surgery.

Riley hesitated outside the door. The last time she had been in a hospital was with her mom and now she wasn’t prepared for seeing someone else she loved in a hospital bed. The room was quiet and dark other than the hum of the machines. Drake had a breathing tube in which she hadn’t been expecting and she gasped when she saw it. The nurse came to her side immediately, reassuring her that it was standard care for a gunshot victim and his need for oxygen support was low. “They will remove it in 24 hours, Your Grace.”

Riley just nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. There were five different pumps on the pole hooked to his IV, but Riley was in a daze and only barely registered it as the nurse explained that there was mix of antibiotics, pain medication and fluids. Somehow, Drake’s tall, muscular frame looked small laying in the huge bed. His hair was sweaty and matted to his head and he hadn’t regained the color in his face; his skin was pale and ashen. Riley took a seat in the chair, taking Drake’s hand and finally focused on the nurse.

“…we still have him on a sedative. Dr. Hastings anticipates lifting the sedation once we remove the breathing tube to limit his discomfort.”

“Can he hear me?” When her mom had been sedated, it pained her when that nurse had encouraged her _not_ to talk to her mom. She hoped this was different.

The nurse looked at Riley with sad eyes. “I wish there was a simple yes or no to that, Your Grace. Some patients wake up and recall hearing what was said to them, so in some cases the answer is yes. In Mr. Walker’s case, he didn’t suffer any head trauma so there is a good possibility that he’ll hear you. Talk to him as much as you’d like. I’ll give you some privacy. Dr. Hastings will be in speak with you and I’ll check in again soon.”

Once they were alone, Riley moved her chair closer to his bed and laid her head down, still holding his hand. “I can’t believe you jumped in front of a gun for me,” she said with tears continuing to streak her face. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this…we’re just getting started, Drake and you…oh god, I could have lost you.”

About twenty minutes later, Dr. Hastings entered the room holding Drake’s chart. Riley sat up and rubbed her eyes at the sound of the door, once again trying to get a read on the stoic doctor to no avail.

“Dr. Hastings…what can you tell me? Why did it take so much longer?”

“My apologies, Riley…if I had been able to step away to update you sooner, I certainly would have. We were required to re-evaluate the method for artery repair, thus extending the surgery time.”

“Were there complications?” Riley asked, trying to remain calm.

“To a degree, yes. Essentially the surgical team had to reevaluate their approach to both artery repair and bullet retrieval. Our teams first attempt at sealing the artery was unsuccessful. Mr. Walker had to be opened up more than initially thought which increases the risks, but as a young, generally healthy patient, it was deemed to be the best choice.”

“So he’s…”

“Stable. There will be some increased monitoring in the short-term. As of now, the artery is holding and our initial tests show no damage to the nerves but tests aren’t always the best assessment of possible damage. We’ll know more when he wakes up and we do some physical tests, as well as hear directly from Mr. Walker as to whether he has full sensation or any tingling and numbness.

“And then what?”

“He will be in ICU for 2-3 days. Then we anticipate another 2-3 day stay to monitor him for signs of infection. Barring any unforeseen complications or set-backs, you should be able to take him home in about 6 days. After that, he will require follow-ups in the long-term as well as physical therapy.”

Riley’s head was swimming and she still didn’t feel like she had a bottom-line answer. “But overall?” she asked, her eyes pleading. “Is he okay? Am I going to lose him?”

Dr. Hastings looked at her somberly. “Your Grace, I know you are looking for absolutes…As I stand here now, I can tell you that the surgery was a success and with all of the information I have, I believe Mr. Walker will make a full recovery but only time and continued monitoring will prove that to be true.”

It wasn’t the definitive answer she wanted, but logically she knew she couldn’t expect one. She was able to take comfort in the fact that as of that moment, Drake was okay and there was a plan for her to take him home. “Thank you, doctor,” she said before turning back to Drake. “You hear that baby…you’re going to get through this, and I am going to take you home.”

Riley laid her head back down next him, concentrating on the rhythm of his breathing and rubbing small circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.

“Your Grace, I know you wish to stay with him but unfortunately we must limit ICU to visiting hours only. Perhaps you could go home and change,” he said, looking down at her blood-stained dress. “Get some rest and come back tomorrow. I will alert you if there are any changes overnight.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hastings…if its all the same to you and there are no rules against it, I’d prefer to just stay in the waiting room. I don’t know if I can even go back to the palace right now and I don’t want to be far from him.”

Dr. Hastings nodded in understanding. “Of course. I will have the nurses get you whatever you need to be comfortable. The cafeteria is still open if you need anything. You can stay with Mr. Walker for another fifteen minutes.”

Riley sat in silence, watching Drake, cursing the universe. It had been easy to laugh off the fortune she was told the week before at Coney Island but now as Drake lay in a hospital bed with a gun shot wound, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was just the beginning of the trials and tribulations that had been foretold. When her fifteen minutes were up, she carefully kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. “I love you…I’m sorry I can’t stay but I won’t be far, and I’ll be back in the morning.”

\--------------------------------------------

Riley woke up the next morning with a sore neck and back. Though the chairs in the waiting room were plush, they clearly weren’t designed for getting a good night’s sleep. Looking at the clock, she saw she still had an hour before she could go back in with Drake. She stood to stretch and walk the room just as a nurse entered.

“Good morning, Your Grace. My name is Holly. I’m the ICU nurse this shift. I wanted to come in and see if there was anything you needed.”

“Nice to meet you, Holly. Please, call me Riley. How is Drake?”

“He’s doing well this morning, Riley. All of his vitals remained stable overnight without any additional intervention. Dr. Hastings will be back on duty this afternoon, but he left instructions for the on-call doctor to begin lifting Mr. Walker’s sedation around 2 PM. Currently we are weaning him off the vent and he is continuing to breathe on his own, so we anticipate having him off of it completely around the same time we lift the sedation.”

Riley breathed a sigh of relief. “That is wonderful news.” For some reason, despite the news, tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry. I’m just a mess right now and I’m exhausted.”

“That’s completely understandable, you have nothing to apologize for. Can I get you anything before visiting hours start?”

Riley blushed. “I, um…I hate to ask but is there any way to get something brought up from the cafeteria. I just can’t bring myself to go down there looking like this.”

“Of course, of course…I can absolutely do that.” Holly turned and headed back to the nurse’s station while Riley continued to stretch and tried to ease the aches in her body. Ten minutes later she had pancakes and orange juice sitting in front of her. To her surprise, despite the stress, she devoured it all. After a quick stop in the ladies room, she was finally allowed in to sit with Drake.

Words were failing her, so she was content to sit in silence, holding his hand. All she could feel at that moment was a mixture of gratitude, anger and relief and if he could hear her, she didn’t want him to hear all of that in her voice. If he hadn’t done what he did, it could have been her in that bed; or worse. But he acted without thinking and she could have lost him and even though their love was new, losing it would break her. It felt too soon to be relieved, but with everything going well with his care, she couldn’t help but be hopeful for their future. It was honestly too much to process and on top of it all, she had no news on her friends.

Hours passed as she sat quietly while Holly came in and out of the room frequently, checking his vitals and adjusting the settings on the ventilator. Around lunch time, Riley had dozed off in the chair and found herself being gently woken up by Holly. “Your Grace, you have some visitors in the waiting room.”

Riley looked at her confused but gave Drake a quick peck on the cheek and rushed out to the waiting room. Her heart leapt when she saw Liam, Hana, Maxwell, and Bertrand standing there waiting for her. “Oh my god, you’re okay! You’re all okay!” Riley rushed forward and pulled everyone into a hug despite the usual protests from Bertrand.

“Yes…yes…” Bertrand said, pulling from her embrace. “We are all quite well, no need to crush us all now. I am…so pleased to see you in good health.”

“God, you have no idea how terrible the last twelve hours have been. Seeing you all safe, I feel like I can breathe again. I was so worried.”

“I think we know exactly what you mean,” Hana replied as her eyes lingered sadly on Riley’s bloody dress.

“Not knowing was…awful,” Maxwell added.

“Riley…how is Drake?” Liam’s expression was anxious and sad, he made no attempts to cover his emotions as tears brimmed his eyes. “We would have come sooner but we just learned this morning that you had brought him here.”

“I’m sure Bastien is furious with me for skipping the safe house, but…”

“No, no…not at all. I think any one of us would have done the same thing.”

“Liam…I just, I couldn’t let anything happen to him and if I hadn’t brought him here…Dr. Hastings didn’t say how much worse it could have been but he said getting Drake immediate care saved his life.”

“So he’s…”

“Yes, Liam. He’s alive and stable. He lost a lot of blood and had to have an artery repaired. My understanding is they have to monitor to ensure the repair holds. He’s also being monitored for possible nerve damage and will require PT when he is released.”

Liam let out a sigh of relief and pulled Riley into his arms. “I couldn’t even allow myself to think about it, my mind just kept fearing the worst. When can we see him?”

“They will be taking him off the vent and lifting his sedation in the next couple hours…then hopefully he’ll wake up and we can talk to him but only two at time in the room.”

“So, we wait,” Liam replied. Riley nodded against his chest. “I am so relieved that you’re safe,” he whispered. “If Drake hadn’t…god, Riley…we could have lost you.” Liam softly kissed her temple and Riley pulled back, looking up into his eyes, still so full of love for her that it overwhelmed her. Flustered, she pulled away and moved toward the chairs.

“Sit, relax. Why don’t you tell me what happened? How did you all get out of the palace?” Riley asked.

Hana took a seat next to Riley and held her hand. “After Maxwell and I were separated from you in the crowd, we tried to get back to you, but the palace security wouldn’t let us go back.”

“They said their orders were to clear the room…” Maxwell added. “…not many people were crazy enough to be trying to get back in.”

Riley reached across the aisle and squeezed Maxwell’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re both safe. And you, Liam?” she asked, turning to face the king on her other side.

“My security detail held off the attackers until Bastien was able to get me out of the ballroom. Once the assassins saw that I was out of their reach, they fled. Clearly, you and I were the targets.”

“Why me?”

“It could be for a number of reasons. As my father told us, power newly acquired is easiest to seize. And, well…as far as the public is concerned, there is still a chance that you could be queen.”

“Right,” Riley said sadly. With Drake in the hospital and Liam clearly still working through his feelings, she wasn’t sure if it was the right time, but the conversation needed to be had. “Liam,” she said gently, taking his hand, “once the more important issues have been handled, I think we should discuss how to clear that up sooner rather than later.”

Pain flashed briefly through his eyes while he held her gaze, but he offered a weak smile. “We are in agreement there, Riley.” 

“Thank you. And you, Bertrand? How did you escape?”

“I was lucky to be near the back of the ballroom. It was utter chaos, but I managed to usher a few others to safety as I escaped.”

“And I made a pit stop on the way out to get Fletcher. I couldn’t leave him in the palace alone. He’s at the safe house with some of the guard for now.”

Riley smiled. “Maxwell, I’m not sure if I should hug you or slap you. That was so dangerous, but I am so happy to know Fletcher is okay. So, what happened then, once everyone was clear?”

“We regrouped and went to a safe house,” Liam explained. “My security forces escorted us here once we were sure that our presence wouldn’t put you in further danger. You did an excellent job taking command and getting security here for yourself, Riley.”

“Thank you, Liam. Do you have any details on other injuries? They told me last night that people from the court were brought in but…nothing else. What about Savannah and Bartie? I know Drake would want to know about them.”

“Savannah and Bartie were among the first to escape. They’re safe and staying in the city.”

“Savannah wanted to come, but she decided it was best to keep Bartie close to support services, just in case. I’m sure she’ll be by to see Drake later,” Maxwell said.

“If there is anything good to be said about last night, its that no lives were lost. Unfortunately, some people were caught in the crossfire and sustained serious injuries. Lady Kiara was caught by a knife, though I am assured there will be no permanent damage…and your former press secretary was shot. He and Kiara were the others brought in last night, they are just down the hall receiving the best care Cordonia has to offer. Bastien was also wounded helping me escape; he is here as well. His leg may never be the same, but he should still be able to walk.”

Riley sat crying as Hana gave voice to exactly what she was thinking. “I still can’t wrap my mind around how something so horrible could happen.”

“Yeah…who do you think could be behind it?” Maxwell asked Liam.

“Cordonia has its fair share of enemies, but it’s pointless to speculate and worry about it now. Bastien insists on leading the investigation despite his condition and I am sure he will have more information when we return to the palace.”

“And when is that going to be?” Riley asked.

“My guards and the police are still securing it. It will be an active crime scene until they’re done.” They’ll call when they are certain the palace is safe and that all evidence has been collected.”

“At which point, we’ll return to face a press and a country that both want answers,” Bertrand said. “Rightfully so, I’d say. Riley, as the new Duchess of Valtoria, there will be many who will be looking to you for answers.”

“Me? Really? I…I was hoping to be able to focus on Drake’s care and recovery but, I will do my best to support Liam and ensure that the citizens feel safe, whatever it takes.”

Bertrand looked solemn. “This is not a matter to take lightly.”

Riley did her best to bite back her anger. “I know that, Bertrand. I just…I’m still brand new at the whole duchess thing and the man I love could have lost his life. I don’t want to let the country _or_ Drake down.”

Hana placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Riley, I’m sure you’re up to the task, but it’s a big one…people are really afraid right now.”

“Yes,” Bertrand agreed. “They fear for the monarchy. As you know, this isn’t the first royal assassination attempt.”

“They should have faith in Liam,” Riley protested. “I know I do.”

Liam pat Riley’s hand in gratitude. “No, Bertrand is right. I need to _earn_ their trust. But your reassurance and support in that regard would be helpful.”

“You have it…of course you have it.”

“In the meantime, it would do us all good to recuperate while we wait for the all-clear to return to the palace,” Bertrand said.

“I’m not leaving this hospital until Drake does,” Riley said.

“We had a feeling you would feel that way,” Hana said. “So, we stopped and got you some things on our way here.”

Hana handed Riley a tote bag with several changes of clothes and some toiletries. “Thank you, so much. I can’t wait to get out of this dress.”

Riley took the bag to the ladies room and was able to wash her face, use some deodorant and perfume and change into a simple black, cap sleeve slip dress. When Riley returned to the waiting room, Bertrand had departed to check on Savannah and Bartie while Liam and Hana went to the cafeteria. Maxwell sat by himself in a chair with a worried expression on his face, wringing his hands. Riley quietly took the seat next to him.

“Man, something like this…an assassination attempt…it makes me think maybe all this stuff with House Beaumont isn’t such a big deal, after all.”

“All this stuff?”

“You know, the never-ending pursuit of fame and fortune. Bertrand’s legacy…”

“Maxwell, after everything that just happened, saving House Beaumont is even more important. You heard Bertrand…Cordonia needs strong leadership now more than ever, and Liam can’t do it alone. He’ll need support from the rest of the court. I can’t think of anyone I’d trust more than you and Bertrand to rally it. But House Beaumont needs to be strong.”

“Huh, that’s actually a good point. Just…maybe don’t mention it to Bertrand…not yet anyway.”

“We haven’t had time to leverage my innocence and elevation to duchess in House Beaumont’s favor, but we will. It will be fine, Maxwell.”

“Well, you know what I think? I think whoever’s behind the assassination attempt is screwed. They may have tried to hurt us, but we’re the dynamic duo! Together, we can avert any crisis…though, I’m not sure _how_ just yet.”

“We’ll figure something out. We always do. I think it’s going to take more than just us as a duo, though. We’ll need Hana, and Liam, and…we have to get Drake better.”

“He’ll be okay, Blossom. Drake is too stubborn to let a bullet take him down and, well…he just got you. I don’t think he’d let that go without a fight.”

“I know…you’re right, I just…”

“Listen, Riley. I was _so_ scared last night.”

“Well, with assassins in the palace, I think everyone was.”

“No, not for my own safety. Well, I mean, not _only_ for my own safety. I was also really scared for _you._ ”

“What do you mean?”

“I was sitting in the safe house last night, thinking about what I’d do if you weren’t around anymore, and…well, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I never got the chance to tell you how much you mean to me. And if telling you that you’re one of my best friends in the world is so important to me…then I know getting out of here and loving you is just as important to Drake.”

Riley threw her arms around Maxwell. “Oh, Maxwell. You show me every day what I mean to you and I hope you know I feel the same. I’ve never doubted that you care about me. I can always count on you to have my back and say exactly what I need to hear.”

“I’m just so glad you’re safe, Blossom.”

“I am…and I’m not going anywhere.”

Maxwell held Riley tighter for another moment and they finally parted when Liam and Hana returned. Despite her general hatred for it, she gratefully sipped the coffee they had brought her, desperate for the pick-me-up. Thirty minutes later, Holly popped her head in to tell them that Drake’s sedation had been lifted and he could wake up at any time. Riley opted to head back to be at Drake’s side and Liam asked to join her.

Riley resumed her seat by Drake’s bed, relieved to see the breathing tube gone and color returning to his face. Liam pulled up a chair to the end of the bed. They sat in peaceful silence, Riley holding Drake’s hand while he appeared to be doing nothing more than enjoying a peaceful sleep. Without the vent and the sounds of the machine, it was almost easy to forget what he had been through in the last twelve hours. Holly and Dr. Hastings both popped in to check on him, but still he remained sleeping.

Tired of the silence, Riley and Liam had fallen into an easy, quiet conversation about restoring Cordonia’s faith when Riley felt a squeeze to her hand. She stood up and peered down at Drake whose eyes were slowly opening.

“Nevin…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riley Nevin is many things, but a nurse, or even someone who can stand the sight of blood, she is not. There was no way in hell my Riley would just go to the safe house. So...I changed it. I took the description of Drake's injuries from the show "All American" where the lead character sustains a gunshot wound to the same part of the body. I am not a medical professional and can't claim accuracy for any of the medical content in this work of fiction.


	2. Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley stays with Drake at the hospital. Drake continues to harbor doubts and thinks he knows what's best for Riley. Liam supports his friends.
> 
> [](https://ibb.co/RHyvZGD)  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Readers! The response to chapter 1 has been awesome and I am so glad you are here and enjoying it. Chapter 2 is what I would call, really divergent from canon since obviously I made a big change in the last chapter that included taking Drake to the hospital and appropriately addressing a gunshot wound and all that could come along with it. There is some canon dialog in here but for the most part, this is all original and will slowly work toward getting back on track to being more canon compliant. I hope you enjoy and as always I appreciate hearing your thoughts and feedback.
> 
> Disclaimers:  
> ***All characters, general story and dialog belong to PB...I do not own anything other than original scenes, my MCs backstory and original characters***
> 
> ***All chapter names are song titles and open with lyrics from the song. I do not own any of these songs. All titles and lyrics belong to the respective artists and writers***

_Singing from heartache from the pain  
Taking my message from the veins  
Speaking my lesson from the brain  
Seeing the beauty through the...Pain!  
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer_

Riley stood looking down at Drake with anxious anticipation as he struggled to open his eyes. “I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”

“Nevin…”

“Your throat maybe sore, baby, they just took out the breathing tube.” Riley gently ran her free hand through his hair, brushing it back from his eyes.

Drake’s eyes fluttered, still heavy from exhaustion and sedation as he weakly squeezed Riley’s hand with his good arm. An attempt to swallow was met with a dry, scratchy throat that felt like he was trying to get down a mouthful of sand. Liam sat quietly at the foot of the bed, steeling himself against the pain throbbing in his chest as he watched the intimacy unfolding before him. Riley pressed the call button and Holly arrived in the room a moment later.

“Your Majesty, Your Grace…is everything alright?”

“Yes. Drake has just woken up, I was wondering if we could get some water for him to help with the dry throat,” Riley inquired.

“Of course, I’ll be right back.”

By the time Holly returned, Drake had fallen back asleep and Riley stood over him with a look of concern. “This is normal, Your…sorry, Riley. He will likely be in and out of consciousness for the next few hours before he can stay awake for any extended period of time or hold a conversation with you.”

Riley nodded and resumed her seat, holding Drake’s hand.

Holly moved to the opposite side of the bed and made some adjustments to the IV pumps and checked Drake’s bandages. “We will be changing this dressing four times per day at a minimum right now, its important that it stays dry and clean to avoid infection. May I ask, who will be caring for Mr. Walker once he is discharged?”

Riley looked at Liam. “I can secure a private nurse to stay at the palace,” Liam replied.

Riley shook her head. “No…you know as well as I do that he’d hate that. I’ll be helping with anything he needs once he’s home,” Riley said turning back to Holly.

“In that case, why don’t we take this opportunity for you to learn to dress the wound? I will run through the steps while you observe. I have some paperwork that goes over it all as well. While Mr. Walker will be here for several more days, if you get used to it now while you have the support staff here, you’ll be a pro by the time he goes home.”

Riley nodded and moved to Holly’s side and observed as she removed the bandages and cleaned the wound. She provided Riley with some information on signs of infection to look for before applying the new bandages.

Once the dressing was changed, Holly left them and the room was quiet again. Liam was in and out taking calls; Riley only left to use the bathroom or grab a snack. Throughout the afternoon, Drake came to for minutes at a time, long enough to realize Riley was there and squeeze her hand before drifting off again. Each time, she felt like she was on a rollercoaster. Joy when she saw his eyes opening, followed by tears when he drifted off again. No matter how ‘normal’ this was, all she wanted was to hear his voice.

On one of her trips back from the ladies room, she encountered Liam in the hallway after yet another call.

“Any news?”

“Nothing of consequence, I’m afraid. Don’t worry yourself with the investigation, though Riley. You let me worry about that…you focus on Drake.”

Riley broke down, tears falling freely. “But Bertrand said…”

Liam quickly pulled her into an embrace and she didn’t resist. “I’ll handle Bertrand too. I’ll handle all of it, and I will be here for you and Drake. I can carry that weight Riley, let me carry it.”

With her head pressed to his chest, she listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat as her tears soaked his shirt. It was comforting to be in his arms, it was warm, safe and reassuring. Liam affectionately rubbed her back

Around dinner time, Liam was sitting in the far corner of the room working on a laptop that the guard had dropped off for him and Riley had her head rested at Drake’s side on his bed. Breaking through the silence, Drake began to cough

Riley raised Drake’s bed to prop him up and grabbed the Styrofoam cup of ice water that Holly had kept refreshing, placing the straw to his lips. With the first sip, his face seemed to come alive and his eyes opened, focusing on Riley in front of him.

“Nevin…I…”

“Shhh…you don’t have to try to talk if it’s too much. I am just so happy to see you awake. I…still can’t believe you took a bullet for me.

Drake coughed, trying again to clear his throat and found his voice, though it was small, almost a whisper. “Aw…come on, Nevin. Don’t sound so impressed. You’re scaring me.”

“I’m not impressed, you stubborn idiot! It means the world to me that you would do something like that but if you weren’t already laying in a hospital bed I’d be slapping some sense into you!”

“Or you could just, you know…say ‘thank you’.” Heaviness still weighed on his eyelids but each time his eyes opened, they immediately found hers.

Riley couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped from her lips. “Same old Drake. Thank you, but…seriously, Drake…I could have lost you, you could have died.”

“But I didn’t…thanks to you. You know, if you weren’t as stubborn as I am, I wouldn’t even be laying in this hospital b…” Drake was overcome by a coughing fit and Riley was quick to give him more water before he continued. “We were supposed to go to a safe house.”

Riley shook her head. “If you had been in my shoes and I was the one with a bullet wound, would you have gone to a safe house?”

“Hell no!”

“I rest my case!”

Drake closed his eyes and laid his head back in defeat. Holly came back into the room to check Drake’s vitals. “Can I get you anything Mr. Walker? Do you need some more water?”

“Wouldn’t happen to have any whiskey, would you?”

Riley laughed and looked up at Holly who was smiling widely. “Its nice to see you’re keeping a sense of humor, Mr. Walker, it will aid in your recovery…whiskey however, will not.”

“It’s funny that you think he’s joking,” Liam said from his seat in the corner. Drake lifted his head, looking down at his best friend.

“Li? I didn’t know you were here.”

“Where else would I be?”

“At a safe house…the palace, in a briefing with the King’s Guard. You’re king for Christ sake.”

Drake winced in pain and Riley prompted him to lay back before moving to offer her seat to Liam. Holly punched some notes into the in-room computer and left them to talk.

Liam sat at Drake’s side and Riley could see the relief on his face after seeing and hearing Drake with his own eyes and ears. “We spent the night at a safe house and didn’t leave until the Guard gave us the clear. Authorities are still sweeping the palace so we can’t return yet. Regardless…no matter what, I’d still be here. Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to be a hero?”

“Heh. Not sure anyone thought they needed to.” Drake started coughing again and winced in pain as the movement wracked his body.

“Okay, tough guy,” Riley said, “stop trying to do too much. Just listen.”

Drake raised his good arm in mock salute, careful not to jostle his IV lines. “Fine, Nevin…you win. But tell me everything, don’t leave anything out.”

Liam recounted everything he had shared with Riley in the waiting room. Noticeable tears formed in Drake’s eyes when he learned that Savannah and Bartie were okay, and again when he heard of Bastien’s injuries. Liam offered his assurance to both Drake and Riley that the Crown would use every resource at their disposal to root out the assassins.

“Consider me at your disposal,” Drake groaned out.

“Drake, no!” Riley exclaimed. “You are laying in an ICU recovering from a gunshot wound for Christ’s sake…you are not offering yourself up to be put in danger again.”

“If it means protecting you, you’re damn right I am, Nevin.”

Liam looked between the two people he cared most about in the world and wondered to himself how he could have been so blind for so long to what they meant to each other. Leaning toward the bed, he took Drake’s hand. “Drake, I will ensure Riley is protected. We had already begun the process of vetting candidates for her personal security detail. I assure you, we will ramp up our efforts. There is no need for you to continue throwing yourself around like a human shield.” Drake turned to look at Liam, recognizing the resolve and authority in his gaze. 

“I can’t give her what you can, Li…what good am I if I can’t protect her?”

“Riley needs _you,_ ” Liam said, pain flashing briefly across his face, “you can protect her without putting yourself in danger. You are just as skilled as any guard I could find, but she needs you for so much more than protection. Let the guards jump into the fray because god forbid there is a ‘next time’, you might not get so lucky.”

Riley stood quietly on the opposite side of the bed as tears streamed down her face. Even after risking his life, Drake was still convinced that he wasn’t enough but she breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded his agreement. Liam turned to look at her and she mouthed ‘ _Thank you_ ’. A moment later, the silence in the room was broken by an alert on Liam’s phone.

“That’s Tyler. He’s assisting Bastien and has an update for me. Get some rest, Drake. I’ll be back when I can.” Liam squeezed Drake’s hand and wrapped Riley in a quick hug before leaving the room. Riley resumed her seat and took Drake’s hand in her own as Holly entered the room again.

“Your Grace…we need to change Mr. Walker’s wound dressing again. With the instructions I provided earlier, would you feel comfortable giving it a try?”

Riley felt momentarily queasy at the thought but pushed it aside, knowing she needed to do this for him, especially after what he had done for her. Holly placed a small metal tray on the bedside table that held alcohol swabs, gauze patches and gauze wrap. Holly took care of removing the existing bandage as Riley watched intently. “I’ll leave you to it,” she said, once it was off. “If you need me, or don’t feel comfortable, just use the call button.”

Riley stood and started prepping the items on the tray, Drake’s gazed fixed on her. Even though she’d seen it earlier, the site of the wound took her breath away. Carefully, she started to swipe with an alcohol pad to clean the surrounding area and Drake winced. “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” he breathed out. “But, unless you have my flask stashed somewhere, I could use a distraction.”

“A distraction huh? How about this…if you wanted me tending to you while you’re half naked, you could have just asked. Not that I mind seeing you without your shirt, but I can think of several things more fun than cleaning a wound and getting shot creates a few problems for us, don’t you think?”

“Heh. Well, now I just feel ridiculous that I went through all this blood loss and all.”

“You’d better.” Riley continued diligently cleaning the wound, satisfied that she didn’t see any of the signs of infection noted on the documents that Holly had left. Gently, she brushed her hand down his muscled chest before reaching for the gauze. “How does it feel?”

“Nevin, when you touch me like that, it makes me forget I even got shot.”

Riley leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, just above the wound, before applying the gauze. “Liam’s right, you know,” she said as she began wrapping the bandage over his shoulder and torso.

“About?”

“I need you, Drake. No more bullets, no more throwing and taking punches. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to patch you up.”

“You don’t have to remind me. I’ve got a couple regrets in life, but punching Tariq after what I saw that night?…not one of ‘em.”

“Well…if we thought our problems were big back then, this…”

“Nevin, taking a hit for you was as worth it then as it was last night.” Drake reached up and cupped Riley’s face tenderly with his good arm. “I think back on that moment…and I had to do it…if you had been hurt…”

“But I wasn’t, thanks to you.”

“I need you to know that I’ll always be there to protect you.”

Riley’s hand continued to work the bandages as she spoke. “You’ve more than proven that, Drake. I…I know why you did it, you couldn’t bear the thought of me being hurt, but I couldn’t…I can’t bear ever doing this again. I spent hours worrying that I had lost you when we just found each other.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Nevin.”

Riley finished wrapping the bandage, tucked the end in and secured it with tape, just as a tear slipped down her cheek. “How’s that?”

Drake reached up and brushed away the stray tear. “Good as new. You did great. See, you could have just taken me to the safe house after all.”

Riley laughed. “We both know that’s not true, Drake. Placing a bandage after detailed instructions from a nurse is completely different from doing surgery. Dr. Hastings said…”. Riley couldn’t stop the tears from coming again, just when she thought she was finally all cried out.

“Nevin, I know what the doctor said, but I’m here, I’m okay and for once in all the time we’ve known each other, I find myself grateful for your stubbornness.”

“But you’re not out of the woods…you’re still here and anything could happen, infection or…”

Drake let go of Riley’s hand and she looked up to see him struggling to shift himself in his bed. “What are you doing?”

“Come here,” he gestured as he made space for her. Riley curled up in the small space beside him and Drake held her close with his good arm. “I know you’re thinking about your mom, Nevin and maybe even thinking of my dad, but this is not _that_. I promise you, that I am walking out of here.”

Riley nodded against his chest.

“Don’t just nod to shut me up, tell me you believe me.”

“I believe you,” Riley whispered.

Drake held her close while he felt her breathing getting shallow and he could tell she had fallen asleep. He knew that she hadn’t left the hospital or slept comfortably since the attack, so he didn’t have the heart to wake her. Holly came in to take his vitals and was surprised to find them like that. Drake looked up to gauge her reaction.

“You really shouldn’t be moving around too much or sharing a bed, Mr. Walker,” she whispered. But the soft smile on her lips betrayed her. “But I’ll allow it, at least until visiting hours are over.”

“She’s not going to leave,” Drake stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh, I know,” Holly laughed. “She took up residence in the waiting room last night.””

“Is there…is there somewhere more comfortable she could stay tonight?”

Holly nodded. “That’s already been arranged. King Liam has ensured she has a full suite in this wing.”

Drake nodded somberly and looked down at the woman that he loved in his arms. He didn’t want to be having the thoughts that were running through his head, but he couldn’t stop them. Drake may have been the one to take the bullet for her, but it was Liam comforting her after the attack, Liam arranging for her protection in the future, and Liam ensuring she was taken care of here in the hospital. Nothing he could do or give her, no amount of protection or bullets, would ever be able to equal the life that she could have with Liam.

With his free arm pinned under a sleeping Riley, Drake couldn’t reach up to wipe away the tears that had snuck from his eyes. Blinking and trying to will them away, he failed to see Liam returning and was startled by the sound of the door.

“Drake? What is it? Are you in pain? Should I get the nurse?”

Drake shook his head at Liam. “I’m fine, man. They’ve got the pain under control.”

“Then why are you…”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Li.”

“Drake, you’ve just been through a terrible ordeal. Talk to me. I am here for you; for you and for Riley.”

“Just worry about her, please. That’s all I care about. Listen, you have to get her out of here. Staying by my side is no life for her.”

“I think you’re being a little dramatic my friend. You will be out of here in a weeks time, this will hardly be her life.”

“I don’t just mean in the hospital.”

“Drake? What are you saying?”

“I should have never let her choose me. It should have been you…she deserves you.” Liam laughed which caused Drake to scowl. “Why is this funny to you?”

“I find it funny that you think you _let_ her do anything. Though it still pains me to admit it, I have never been Riley’s choice and had you not returned her affections, she wouldn’t have turned to me…she would have returned to New York and been out of all of our lives.”

Drake shook his head adamantly. “No, I don’t believe that.”

“Well, you should. Anyone with sense can see what you mean to her and you of all people should know that Riley is strong-willed, stubborn, and independent. She has chosen to live life with you are her side, and by her side you shall be.”

“Li…”

“No!” Liam said in a whisper that still sounding as commanding as if he had shouted. “I won’t hear any more of this and if Riley could hear you, it would break her heart. You are the man she needs, Drake. There is no crown, no castle, no other man that could change that. She loves you, and you love her; end of story.”

Drake nodded just as Riley began to stir at his side. 

“You let me fall asleep,” she groaned, looking up at him with still sleepy eyes.

“You needed it,” Drake replied, kissing the top of her head. “Liam is back.”

Riley sat up with a start. “Oh, goodness. Sorry, you should have woken me.”

Liam smiled softly. “Don’t be silly. It gave Drake and I time to talk.”

“About news on the investigation?” Riley asked.

“Not as such, but something important that shall stay between friends.”

Riley examined Liam’s expression, trying to get a read on him, but as usual she was unsuccessful and she thought it best to just let it go. Standing from the bed, she smoothed her dress and resumed her seat at Drake’s bedside. Liam took the chair at the bottom of the bed just as there was a knock on the door.

“Mr. Walker,” Dr. Hastings said.

Drake nodded.

“I am Dr. Hastings, lead physician on your care. I’m glad to see you’re in much better shape then you were last night.”

“I guess that’s all thanks to you, Doc.”

“Hmmm, myself and several skilled surgeons, not to mention this lovely young lady for disobeying orders to bring you here.”

Drake laughed. “She’s real good at disobeying orders.”

Riley playfully smacked his hand. “Dr. Hastings didn’t come in here to hear you take jabs at me,” she said, turning to the doctor. “Do you have news, or does he need more tests?”

“Now that Mr. Walker is fully alert, I wanted to do a physical assessment.”

“Ok, doc. What does that entail?” Drake asked.

“Well, first, can you tell me if you are having any numbness or tingling in the extremities of your left side?”

Drake shook his head. “Nothing like that, it feels good other than the throbbing pain in my shoulder.”

“Does that mean it worked?” Riley asked hurriedly with a hopeful expression.

“Full sensation is a great sign,” Dr. Hastings said, moving around to Drake’s injured side. “Now, the next test.” Dr. Hastings took a hold of Drake’s hand. “Try to squeeze my hand.”

Drake looked down at their joined hands with great concentration, but nothing happened. “It’s not working,” he hissed.

“Take a breath and try again.”

“I _am_ trying,” Drake snapped.

“It’s okay,” Dr. Hastings replied. “This is not unexpected. It’s still possible that you’ll regain the muscle control in time.”

“Doctor, he’s been squeezing my hand all day,” Riley said with a shaky voice.

“Yes, Your Grace…with his right hand. If there was damage to the nerves, it would be limited to his left side.”

“Doc, how much time are we talking?”

“That’s difficult to predict, Mr. Walker. We can run more scans in the morning to get another look at the nerves after some of the swelling from surgery has gone down.”

“Give me your hand,” Drake growled, “I want to try again.”

“Mr. Walker, you need rest. We’ll try again in the morning before the scans. We’re close to the end of visiting hours, but I can give you a little more time,” Dr. Hastings said before departing.

Liam wore a worried expression and Riley quickly turned her eyes back to Drake, noticing the anger and frustration as tears once again welled in his eyes. “Hey…hey, look at me,” she whispered. “Tomorrow is another day. And you are going to be okay.”

“I promised you…I promised you I was walking out of here.”

“I know you did. And I know you will make good on that promise. Drake, I know you are capable of anything. You overcame the loss of your dad and your mom leaving, you pushed on until you found your sister, and you helped me overcome a scandal. I know you can do this…I know _we_ can do this, together. We can do anything together.”

“I love you, Nevin.”

“I love you, too. Get some sleep; I’ll be back in the morning.”

Riley gave Drake a quick kiss and then turned to go, leaving him to have another moment with Liam.

“She’s right you know,” Liam said.

Drake looked up with sad eyes and met his best friend’s gaze. “You both are. I don’t want to do this without her…I don’t want to do _life_ without her.”

“I will do everything in my power to root out this threat and make sure you don’t have to. You…you are a very lucky man, brother.” Liam clapped Drake on his uninjured shoulder. “Get some sleep.”

\------------------------------------------

Drake woke the next morning after a good night’s sleep, thanks in part to his pain medication. As promised, Riley was already at his side when he opened his eyes and a few minutes later, Dr. Hastings entered the room.

“Good morning Your Grace, Mr. Walker. How are we feeling today?”

“Feeling ready to squeeze some hands, doc.”

“You certainly don’t waste any time.”

“I feel ready.”

Dr. Hastings came to the side of the bed and checked Drake’s wound and dressings first, and then took Drake’s hand. “Just take a deep breath and…”

With great concentration and effort, Drake squeezed the doctor’s hand. “There it is,” Dr. Hastings exclaimed. “That’s a great sign. Let’s get you down for scans and then we’ll be moving you out of ICU a day ahead of schedule.”

Riley sat in the room that Liam had secured for her while Drake was down in radiology for about an hour. Dr. Hastings was pleased to report that the scans showed no evidence of nerve damage and that with time and physical therapy, Drake’s muscle control would return to normal.

Finally free from the restrictive visiting hours of the ICU, Drake and Riley settled into a private suite together and the next few days passed in a blur of tests, PT, and discharge care instructions. Eight days after the Homecoming Ball, Holly was back on duty the day Drake was released.

“No strenuous activity or lifting for at least another week. You are to wear this sling all day other than sleeping and showering. Your wound has healed enough to allow you to shower. Remove all bandages, gently cleanse the wound, pat dry, and reapply the bandages to dry skin. Your stitches are dissolvable so you will not need to come back for removal, however, you are scheduled for a progress check with Dr. Hastings in 3 weeks and you have PT scheduled 3 days a week for the next four weeks. Do you have any questions?”

Drake looked at Riley with a mischievous smile and a wink before turning back to Holly. “So…ah…what exactly do you consider ‘strenuous activity’?”

Holly laughed. “As long as you don’t strain your arm or shoulder, you and Her Grace should be safe to partake in that particular activity,” she replied, winking back.

“Drake!”

“No need to be embarrassed, Your Grace. It’s a more common question than you might think. I will have an orderly come by in a few minutes with a wheelchair to take you out, Mr. Walker.”

“That won’t be necessary. I promised ‘Her Grace’ that I’d walk out of here.”

Holly shook her head. “Hospital protocol. We have to wheel you to at least the door. You can walk from there which still counts as ‘out’.”

Drake started to protest but Riley quickly interrupted. “Thank you, Holly. For everything! You’ve been like having a guardian angel.”

“It was my pleasure…Riley.”

Moments later, an orderly arrived and as promised, stopped just inside the door and allowed Drake to walk on his own outside. To his surprise, there was no guard, no driver, and no motorcade waiting for them. Riley noticed his confusion. “I asked Liam to let me bring you home on my own. We have one of the security SUVs.”

Riley took Drake’s hand and walked to the parking garage, helping him into the passenger side, grateful that it was under much different circumstances than the last time she did it. When she got into the driver seat, she punched in the address for the palace and started the engine, but Drake quickly reached for the GPS. Setting the route to a different address, he sat back in the seat and took her hand. “Ok, now we can go.”

“Where is that going to take us?” she asked curiously.

“Somewhere where it can be just us for a while. After all this, I just need some time alone with you.”

“You won’t get an argument from me,” Riley replied. “But that still doesn’t tell me where.”

“Home,” Drake replied.


End file.
